Vacuum cleaner nozzle



Oct. 3, 1961 c. B. SMITHSON ET AL 3,002,217

VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE Filed Nov. 5, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 mgmlg Oct. 3, 1961 c. B. SMITHSON EIAL 3,002,217

VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE Filed Nov. 3, 1958 '5 Sheets-Sheet 2 .illll llilill lil M N a K I at INVENTO flMM "2" Oct. 3, 1961 c. B. SMITHSON ETAL 3,002,217

VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE Filed Nov. 3, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 1/1 2 a A? 44 4% /4 j M :ZZZZZZIIIl/ ifa A? J55 a INVEgJ' is M ii zd/jzz M,Meua-MM/?W 3,002,217 VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE Charles B. Smithson, Bloomington, and Robert A. McCallum, Normal, 111., assignors, by mesne assignments, to National Union Electric Corporation, Stamford, Conn.,

a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 3, 1958, Ser. No. 771,600 12 Claims. (Cl. -382) This invention relates to air operated nozzles for cleaning rugs and other surfaces and has particular reference to such a nozzle incorporating simple and efficient means actuated by the flow of air into the nozzle through the mouth thereof for beating a rug or other surfaces so as to dislodge dirt therefrom.

Suction cleaners of the tank and canister type are very popular but the rug nozzles used therewith do not adequately clean rugs and carpets because they incorporate no means for beating or agitating the carpet to dislodge the dirt particles therein. While many proposals for rug beating nozzles have been made for such types of cleaners, .so far as we are aware, no such rug beating nozzles for such types of cleaners are now commercially available.

The prior application of Fred W. Kuppersmith, Serial No. 517,758 filed June 24, 1955, now Patent number 2,85 8,5 61, discloses a rug nozzle for a tank cleaner having air actuated rug agitating means incorporated in the nozzle and, while such rug agitating nozzle eifectively beats the carpet, the rug nozzle of the present invention is considered to be an improvement over that disclosed in the Kuppersmith application.

According to our invention, we incorporate in the mouth of a rug nozzle at least three springs, preferably in the form of straight flexible wires of spring steel and loosely support the ends of the wires in the nozzle body at the end of the nozzle mouth, two of the wires being disposed in the same plane and the other of the wires being disposed between said two wires and inwardly from the plane thereof. A series of cylindrical heaters or beads are disposed on each of said wires and span the nozzle mouth and when at rest substantially block the flow of air into the body through said mouth. The beaters must be displaced from their normal at rest position to permit flow of air through the mouth into the nozzle body during operation of the nozzle when the same is operably connected to a suction cleaner and to this end the said heaters are constructed and arranged so as to be vibrated by and in response to the flow of air through the nozzle mouth when suction is applied to the interior thereof, two of said heaters being so disposed that when vibrated they serve to rapidly and mechanically beat a rug presented to the mouth of the nozzle and permit dirt dislodged from the rug by the beating action of the spring-mounted beads to flow into the nozzle through the mouth thereof. Such agitating means is operable independently of the translation of the rug nozzle with respect to the rug. Our rug nozzle additionally incorporates a pair of floating brushes which are adjustably positioned by meansof a novel and extremely simple adjusting means.

A principal object of the invention therefore is to provide a novel, eflicient and simple rug cleaning nozzle for suction cleaners and in which an air operated rug agitating means is incorporated in the nozzle mouth.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and may be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, of which there are three sheets, which by way of illustration show a preferred embodiment of the invention and what We now consider to be the best mode of applying the principles of our invention. Other embodiments of the invention may be used without departing from the 3,02,2l7 Patented Oct. 3, 1961 ice scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view partly broken away of a rug nozzle embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of the under face or bottom side thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the rug nozzle;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 2, with the sole plate removed;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIGURE 1; 7

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 66 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary view taken along the line 77 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary View taken along the line 88 of FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken along the line 9-9 of FIGURE 8.

As illustrated in the drawings, a rug nozzle embodying the invention comprises a hollow nozzle body 10 connected to a swivel elbow 13 which communicates with the interior of the nozzle body 10 and forms a coupling means by which the end of a wand or hose (not shown) connected to a suction cleaner (not shown) may be operatively connected with the nozzle 10. The suction cleaner may be of the tank or canister type including a fan operative to draw dirt-laden air into a dirt collecting receptacle within the cleaner and in which operation of the fan creates a unidirectional flow of air in through the nozzle body 10 and up through the elbow 13 and the wand or hose.

A sole plate 12 is secured on the underside of the nozzle body 10 by means of a plurality of screws 40 and is provided with an elongated, rectangular, central opening 12a through which spaced flanges or nozzle lips 14 project downwardly from the nozzle body It), as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. The lips 14 may be integrally formed on the nozzle body 10 and together with the end walls 35 which also depend from the nozzle body and connect the lips at their ends, define an elongated, rectangular air inlet mouth to the nozzle body and provide a vertical channel 14a extending upwardly through which dirt-laden air passes. A rubber bumper 50, which extends around the periphery of the nozzle is clamped between the upturned edge of the sole plate 12 and the outer edge of the nozzle body .10. The sole plate 12 is also provided with a series of spaced, transversely extending ribs 42 on opposite sides of the central opening 12a. These ribs 42 and the end surfaces 44 at the respective ends of the side plate 12 form skids which facilitate sliding movement of the rug nozzle over a carpet. 1

Each of the nozzle lips 14 and the adjacent upturned flanges 16 on the sole plate 12 which form the longitudinal edges of the opening 12a in the sole plate define brush slots 13 at each side of the opening in which a brush holder 21 carrying depending brushes 20 is floatingly arranged. Since the brushes 20 project below the sole plate 12 and straddle the nozzle month, they block to some extent the flow of air into the nozzle when in engagement with a carpet. Consequently, the end portions 44 of the sole plate 12 are each grooved as at 46 to admit an adequate amount of air into the nozzle mouth in order that the dirt dislodged due to the beating action to be described hereinafter will be carried into the nozzle and thence into the suction cleaner to which the nozzle is attached.

As shown more particularly in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings, at least three parallel straight spring wires 22, 24 and 26 are disposed within the span of the length of the nozzle mouth. The ends of said spring wires 22, 24 and 26 are loosely disposed for longitudinal sliding movement in horizontal slots 28, 30 and 32, respectively, formed in the end walls 35 which form the ends of the nozzle mouth. The respective ends of the outer or side wires 22 and 26 at the slots 28 and 32 are engaged by the upper edges of upstanding end flanges 45 of the sole plate so as to loosely retain the ends of these wires in their slots. The spring wires 22, 24 and 26 are transversely spaced from each other and from the sides of the nozzle lips 14 and are parallel with the lips and the plane of the nozzle mouth. The outer or side spring wires 22 and 26 are disposed in the same plane a short distance inwardly from the nozzle mouth while the inner or center spring wire 24 is disposed between the wires 22 and 26 and inwardly from the plane of the wires 22 and 26.

A series of cylindrical imperforate beads or heaters 36 are loosely strung from end to end in abutting relation on each of the wires 22, 24 and 26 so as to completely span the nozzle mouth and they are disposed, when at rest, to substantially block the flow of air into said nozzle body 10 through the mouth thereof, thus requiring that such heaters be displaced from their at rest position to permit normal flow of air through the nozzle mouth into the nozzle body during operation of the cleaner. These heaters 36 and their springs 22, 24 and 26 form composite spring means which are constnucted and arranged so as to be vibrated by and in response to the flow of air through the nozzle mouth when suction is applied through the nozzle body, said wires being so disposed that when vibrated the heaters on two of the wires will rapidly mechanically beat a rug presented to the mouth of the nozzle and permit dirt dislodged from the rug by the heating action to flow into the nozzle body through the mouth thereof. The beads 36 may be formed of hard polyethylene or any other suitable material.

In a rug nozzle made according to our invention, we have made the outer or side wires 22 and 26 of .0915 steel spring wire 10.875 inches long, and the inner, central wire 24 of .080 steel spring wire ll inches long. Preferably the wires are given a thin cadmium plate finish. The heads 36 we have used are 1.05 inches in length .400 inch in diameter, with a .1250 inch diameter central bore through which the spring wires extend with a loose fit therein. The diameter of the heads is slightly greater than the distance between the heads on the side wires 22 and 26 so that the beads on the central wire 2-4 are normally disposed in their at rest position as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 with their peripheries in substantial engagement with the peripheries of the heads on the side wires 22 and 26. Similarly, in the at rest position the beads on the side Wires 22 and 26 are in substantial contact with the side walls or lips 14 of the nozzle mouth but upon operation of the cleaner are adapted for free in and out movement as they are vi brated in response to the flow of air into the nozzle mouth. In the at rest position, the ends of the center wire 24 are disposed in the upper portion of the slots 30.

The heads 36 and the spring wires 22 and 26 from heaters and derive their energy from the vacuum and the flow of air into the nozzle body. Suction imposed on the inner surface areas of the beads 36 uponoperation of the cleaner causes them to deflect the springs 22, 24 and 26 to an inwardly or upwardly bowed position, thereby storing energy in the springs which, upon release of the vacuum, causes the heaters to accelerate in the opposite direction so that the heaters on wires 22 and 26 will strike the carpet.

It is our opinion based upon such observations as we have made that the beads on the center or inner wire 24 function somewhat like a valve in combination with the headson the side wides 22 and 26. Preferably, the iff t' s a e q sid r and; 16, sm pprqa r mately two and one-half times that of the center wire 24. As the springs and beads are deflected upwardly due to the difierence in pressure across the heads, the forces of the springs become more important than the acceleration force and thus the lighter and more flexible central spring Wire '24 permits the heads thereon to travel farther upwardly or inwardly than the heads on the side wires 22 and 26, thus afiording elongated openings between the heaters on wire 24 and the heaters on wires 22 and 26 and thus opening the valve. When this occurs, air can flow up into the nozzle past the beads, thereby breaking the vacuum and greatly reducing the force acting on the beads. The velocity which has been generated causes the beads on the wires to continue to travel upwardly but, because the side spring wires 22 and 26 are stifier, they do not travel as far and start back toward the rug sooner than do the beads on the wires 24, thus maintaining the elongated openings. The beads on the wires 22 and 26 will continue down and strike the rug which has been drawn up by suction against the nozzle mouth. As soon as the beads on the central wire 24 return downwardly and engage the beads on the side wires 22 and 26, the opening between the heads will be substantially closed, thus re-establishing the vacuum, whereupon the cycle of operation as above described will be repeated in rapid succession to produce a rapid, vigorous beating action.

Because of the loose fit of the beads 36 on the wires, the beads rotate on the wires and roll relative to beads on adjacent wires and relative to the side walls of the lips 14 during the beating operation. This rotation of the beads on the wires necessarily increases their operable life inasmuch as wear is more evenly distributed around the peripheries of the beads. Furthermore, function between the heads on the respective spring wires and between the beads on the outer spring wires and the lip side walls is reduced which facilitates the heating action. It will he observed from FIGURES 1, 5 and 6 that the end surfaces 44 which form skids or shoes for the nozzle project substantially below the lower end of the nozzle lips 14, thus permitting the suction effect at the nozzle mouth to draw the carpet up against the lips 14 where it may be subjected to the beating action of the heaters 36 on the wires 22 and 26.

It is to be understood that as the beads 36 on the spring wires 22, 24 and 26 are moved upwardly or downwardly, the spring wires 22, 24 and 26 asume a somewhat bowed or curved condition with the point of greatest bowing tending to occur at substantially the centers of the spring wires. As the spring wires are bowed upon vibratory motion as above described, their respective end portions slide longitudinally in their respective slots 28, 3t and 32 in an inward direction tending to disengage them from the slots, and consequently the slots and end portions of the wires therein must be of sufiicient relative length that the wires will still he retained within the slots at the point of greatest bowing of the wires.

With the use of a production canister type cleaner, which is capable of creating an air flow through an unrestricted nozzle opening of up to about c.f.m. with a vacuum of up to 65 inches of water with a rug nozzle embodying the invention as herein disclosed, we obtain a heating action which may vary between approximately 2,200 and 3,500 strokes per minute, depending on the carpet being cleaned. Such beating action is comparable to that obtained in conventional floor type cleaners using motor driven agitators. It is to be understood that the beater construction herein disclosed may be incorporated in the nozzle of such a floor type cleaner in lieu of the rotary agitators now used.

As shown in FIGURES 4v and 8, a pivoted U-shaped member52 formed of Wire stock straddles each end of the nozzle mouth and the adjacent endsv of the brushes 2%, wi h he psns t ng Ben n 5.4. t s i m mb x e n across and below the bearing sleeves 56 on respective ends of the brush holders 21. As shown in FIGURE 8, each end of each brush holder 21 is provided with a flat spring 58 received at one of its ends within the bearing sleeve 56 and hearing at its other end against the inside of the nozzle body 10. The springs 58 serve to bias the brush holders 21 downwardly or outwardly of the slots 18 and against the connecting portions 54 of the members 52 at each end of the nozzle. Thus, the position of the connecting portions 54 will determine the extent to which the brushes 20 may project below the lower surface of the sole plate 12, and it will be understood that normally the weight of the nozzle body is sumcient to move the brush holders 21 upwardly in their slots to the point where the lower ends of the brush tuftsZtl are in engagement with the rug being cleaned. Thus, the springs 58 yieldingly urge the brushes 20 against the carpet being cleaned.

As shown more particularly in FIGURES 4 to 7, inclusive, of the drawings, transversely extending portions 60 of the members 52'are each pivoted in a slot 62 formed in a bifurcated boss 64 projecting downwardly from the interior of the nozzle body 10. A spring clip 66 straddling the bifurcated end of the boss 64 holds the portions nil in their position as illustrated. Each of the U-members 52 is provided with a flexible arm as which engages in and cooperates with the threads of an adjusting screw 7t having a knob '72 in a readily accessible position on the top of the nozzle body It). A retaining screw 41 which projects through an opening in the sole plate 12 is threaded into an opening in the lower end of the adjusting screw 70, while a cylindrical portion 74 of the adjusting screw 70 fits' a circular hole '76 formed in the nozzle body 10. Rotation of the adjusting screw 79 will move the ends of the arms 68 upwardly or downwardly as the case may be and thereby raise or lower the connecting portions 54 of the member 52 with a corresponding adjustment of the brushes 2% While we have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of our invention, it is understood that this is capable of modification, and we therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail ourselves of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims. It is to be further understood that while the preferred embodiment has been described in connection with the beating and cleaning of rugs, it has application to a wide variety of other surfaces from which dirt may be removed by the novel beating and cleaning action of the present invention and the term rug is used in the specification and claims is not to be taken as a word of limitation.

We claim:

1. A rug cleaning nozzle comprising a hollow body adapted to have suction applied to the interior thereof and having its bottom side adapted for movement over the surface of a rug to be cleaned, said body having an elongated rectangular air inlet mouth in its bottom side through which air flows into the body when suction is applied to the interior thereof, at least three spaced and parallel straight spring wires disposed within and spanning the length of said mouth with the ends of said wires loosely supported by the body at the ends of said month, said wires being spaced from the sides of said mouth and parallel with the sides and the plane of said nozzle mouth, two of said wires being disposed in the same plane and the other of said wires being disposed between said two wires and inwardly offset from the plane thereof, a series of cylindrical beads on each of said wires spanning said mouth and when at rest substantially blocking the flow of air into said body through said mouth, and disposed so that such beads must be displaced from their at rest position to permit substantial flow of air through said mouth into said body during operation of said nozzle, said wires and beads being constructed and arranged so as to be vibrated by and in response to the flow of air through said mouth into said body when suction is applied to the interior thereof, said wires and beads being disposed so as when vibrated the beads on said two of said wires will rapidly mechanically beat a rugpresented to the mouth of said nozzle and permit dirt dislodged from said rug by such beating action to flow into said body through said mouth.

2. A rug cleaning nozzle comprising a hollow body adapted to have suction applied to the interior thereof and having its bottom side adapted for movement over the surface of a rug to be cleaned, said body having an elongated air inlet mouth in its bottom side through which air flows into the body when suction is applied to the interior thereof, a plurality of spaced straight spring wires disposed within and spanning the length of said mouth with the ends of said wires loosely supported by the body atthe ends of said mouth, means on said wires spanning said mouth and when at rest substantially blocking the flow of air into said body through said mouth, and disposed so that such means must be displaced from their at rest position to permit substantial flow of air through said mouth into said body during operation of said nozzle, said means being constructed and arranged so as to be vibrated by and in response to the flow of air through said mouth into said body when suction is applied to the interior thereof, said means being disposed so as when vibrated to rapidly mechanically beat a rug presented to the mouth of said nozzle and permit dirt dislodged from said rug by such beating action to flow into said body through said'mouth.

3. A rug cleaning nozzle comprising a hollow body adapted to have suction applied to the interior thereof and having its bottom side adapted for movement over the surface of a rug to be cleaned, said body having an elongated rectangular air inlet mouth in its bottom side through which air flows into the body when suction is applied to the interior thereof, three spaced and parallel flexible wires disposed within and spanning the length of said mouth with the ends of said wires loosely supported in the body at the ends of said mouth thereof, two of said wires being disposed in the same plane and the other of said wires being disposed between said two wires and offset inwardly from the plane thereof, beaters on said wires spanning said mouth and disposed when at rest to substantially block the flow of air into said body through said mouth, and so that such beaters must be displaced from their at rest position to permit substantial flow of air through said mouth into said body during operation of said nozzle, said beaters being constructed and arranged so as to be vibrated by and in response to the flow of air through said mouth into said body when suction is applied to the interior thereof, said wires and beaters being disposed so as when vibrated the beaters on two of said wires will rapidly mechanically beat a rug presented'to the mouth of said nozzle and permit dirt dislodged from said rug by the beating action to flow into said body through said month, said two wires being substantially stiffer than the other of said Wires, and the beaters on said other wire being of such size as to seat on the heaters on said two wires when said beaters are at rest.

4. A rug cleaning nozzle comprising a hollow body having a bottom face adapted for presentation to the surface of a rug to be cleaned and provided with an elongated air inlet mouth through which dirt laden air flows into the body when suction is applied to the interior thereof, a plurality of straight spring steel wires disposed within and spanning the length of said mouth with the ends of said wires loosely supported by said body at the ends of the mouth and with said wires being spaced from each other and from the sides of said mouth, a series of beaters on each of said wires and disposed so as to span said mouth and when at rest to substantially block the flow of air into said body through said mouth and so that such beaters must be displaced from their at rest position to permit substantial flow of air through said mouth into said body during operation of said nozzle, said wires and beaters being constructed and arranged so as to be vibrated by and in response to the flow of air through said mouth into said body when suction is applied to the interior thereof, said wires and beaters being disposed so as when vibrated certain of said beaters will rapidly mechanically beat a rug presented to the mouth of said nozzle and permit dirt laden air dislodged by the beating action of said beads to flow into said body through said mouth.

5. A nozzle according to claim 4 having at least three of said wires With one of said wires offset inwardly from and between the other two so that the heaters therein will seat on the beaters on the other wires when said heaters are at rest.

6. A rug cleaning nozzle comprising a hollow body having a bottom face adapted for presentation to the surface of a rug to be cleaned and provided with an elongated air inlet mouth through which dirt laden air flows into the body when suction is applied to the interior thereof, a plurality of flexible springs disposed within and spanning the length of said mouth with the ends of said springs supported by said body at the ends of the mouth, means on said springs spanning said mouth and disposed when at rest to substantially block the flow of air into said body through said mouth and so that such means must be displaced from their at rest position to permit substantial flow of air through said mouth into said body during operation of said nozzle, said means being constructed and arranged so as to be vibrated by and in response to the flow of air through said mouth into said body when suction is applied to the interior thereof, at least some of said means forming heaters and being disposed so as when vibrated to beat a rug presented to the mouth of said nozzle and other of said means ofiset inwardly from and overlapping said beating means.

7. A rug cleaning nozzle comprising a hollow body having a bottom face adapted for movement over the surface of a rug to be cleaned and provided with an elongated air inlet mouth through which dirt laden air flows into the body when suction is applied to the interior thereof, a plurality of elongated spring means disposed within and spanning the length of said mouth with the ends of said springs supported by said body at the ends of the mouth, said spring means when at rest substantially blocking the flow of air into said body through said mouth and being disposed so that such spring means must be displaced from their at rest position to permit substantial flow of air through said mouth into said body during operation of said nozzle, said spring means being constructed and arranged so as to be vibrated by and in response to the flow of air through said mouth into said body when suction is applied to the interior thereof, two of said spring means forming heaters and being disposed so as when vibrated to beat a rug presented to the mouth of said nozzle and a third spring means offset inwardly from and adapted to seat on said two spring means when at rest.

8. A rug cleaning nozzle comprising a nozzle body hav ing spaced lips defining an air inlet mouth through which dirt laden air flows into the body when suction is applied to the interior thereof, said body having a plurality of downwardly opening pairs of slots at the ends of said mouth, a straight spring wire having its ends loosely disposed in each pair of slots and spanning the length of said nozzle mouth, a sole plate secured to the underside of said body and extending across the underside of said wires and having an opening through which said lips project, a series of beaters on each of said wires so as to span said mouth and when at rest to substantially block the flow of air through said mouth and so that such beaters must be displaced from their at rest position to permit substantial flow of air through said mouth during ope t n of a d ozzle, sa aters. eing. onstru ted and arranged so as to be vibrated by and in response to the flow of air through said mouth when suction is applied to the interior thereof, said beaters being disposed so as when vibrated, to beat a rug presented to the mouth of said nozzle.

9. A surface cleaning nozzle comprising a hollow body adapted to have suction applied to the interior thereof and having its bottom side adapted for movement over the surface to be cleaned, said body having an elongated air inlet mouth in its bottom side through which air flows into the body when suction is applied to the interior thereof, a plurality of spaced straight spring wires disposed within and spanning the length of said mouth with the ends of said wires yieldably supported by the body at the ends of said mouth, means on said wires spanning said mouth and when at rest substantially blocking the flow of air into said body through said mouth, and disposed so that such means must be displaced from their at rest position to permit substantial flow of air through said mouth into said body during operation of said nozzle, said means being constructed and arranged so as to be vibrated by and in response to the flow of air through said mouth into said body when suction is applied to the interior thereof, said means being disposed so as when vibrated to rapidly mechanically beat a surface presented to the mouth of said nozzle and permit dirt dislodged from said surface by such beating action to flow into said body through said mouth.

10. A rug cleaning nozzle comprising a hollow body adapted to have suction applied to the interior thereof and having its bottom side adapted for movement over the surface of a rug to be cleaned, said body having an elongated air inlet mouth in its bottom side through which air flows into the body when suction is applied to the interior thereof and having a plurality of slots at the respective ends of said mouth, a plurality of spaced straight spring wires disposed within and spanning the length of said mouth with the ends of said wires extending loosely into said slots and being supported for slidable movement relative thereto, means on said wires spanning said mouth and when at rest substantially blocking the flow of air into said body through said mouth, and disposed so that such means must be displaced from their at rest position to permit substantial flow of air through said mouth into said body during operation of said nozzle, said means being constructed and arranged so as to be vibrated by and in response to the flow of air through said mouth into said body when suction is applied to the interior thereof, said means being disposed so as when vibrated to rapidly mechanically beat a rug presented to the mouth of said nozzle and permit dirt dislodged from said rug by such beating action to flow into said body through said mouth.

11. A rug cleaning nozzle comprising a hollow body adapted to have suction applied to the interior thereof and having its bottom side adapted for movement over the surface of a rug to be cleaned, said body having an elongated air inlet mouth in its bottom side through which m'r flows into the body when suction is applied to the intenior thereof, a plurality of spaced straight spring wires disposed within and spanning the length of said mouth with the ends of said wires loosely supported by the body at the ends of the mouth, said wires being disposed in different planes parallel to the plane of said mouth and one of said different planes being offset inwardly from the other of said different planes, a plurality of beads supported in said different planes on said wires and spanning said mouth and disposed when at rest to substantially block the how of air into said body through said mouth and so that such beads must be displaced from their at rest position to permit substantial flow of air through said mouth into said body during operation of said nozzle, said beads and said wires being constructed and arranged so as to be vibrated by and in response to the flow of; air through said mouth into, said body when suction is applied to the interior thereof and being disposed so as when vibrated the beads supported in the outer plane will rapidly mechanically beat a rug presented to the mouth of said noule and permit dirt dislodged from said rug by the beating action to flow into said body through said mouth, the wire used in said outer plane being of greater stiffness than the wire used in said inner plane, and the beads in one of said different planes being of such size as to seat against the beads in the other of said different planes.

12. A surface cleaning nozzle comprising a hollow body adapted to have suction applied to the interior thereof and having its bottom side adapted for movement over a surface to be cleaned, said body having an elongated air inlet mouth in its bottom side through which air flows into the body when suction is applied to the interior thereof, a plurality of spaced straight wires disposed within and spanning the length of said mouth with the ends of the Wires yieldably supported by the body at the ends of said mouth, a series of beaters freely mounted on each of said wires for rotation thereon and for rotation relative to each other and disposed so as to span said mouth and when at rest to substantially block the flow of air into said body through said mouth and so that such beaters must be displaced from their at rest position to permit substantial flow of air through said mouth into said body during operation of said nozzle, said wires and beaters being constructed and arranged 'so as to be vibrated by and in response to the flow of air through said mouth into said body when suction is applied to the interior thereof, said wires and beaters being disposed so as when vibrated certain of said beaters will rapidly mechanically beat a surface presented to the mouth of said nozzle and permit dirt laden air dislodged by the beating action of said beads to flow into said body through said mouth, and said beaters during said vibrating action being rotated on said wires to present different sides thereof for beating engagement with said surface and to provide a rolling action between the series of beaters on the respective wires.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,792,992 Lerch Feb. 17, 1931 2,421,661 Taylor June 3, 1947 2,635,276 Kelly Apr. 21, 1953 2,858,561 Kuppersmith Nov. 4, 1958 

